Overcoming The Beast

The Griffin flew above the stairs. It was like a beam of light moving diagonally up the stairs. The stairs were thoroughly large and could easily allow the Griffin to fly. They were so big you could even fit a hundred of them with wise.

The Griffin barely flapped its wings. It would use them to push up and then rocket up. Eos was admiring the Griffin. She held was feeling the soft Blue fur and said, "I want a Griffin to. It's so pretty and strong. Leon you have to help me find one."

Leon agreed to it. He didn't think to much about it.

Pace was also amazed. Although he had the StarFire Peng to ride, it was a different experience to ride a Griffin, especially a lightning one. It was much faster and more comfortable. He looked at the Griffins feet. It looked as if it was running on the air.

"Leon when you go out to look for Griffin with Eos make sure to bring me along."

"This perfect! We three should go Griffin capturing." Eos started planning an event in her head. She thought about when they should go and what they should bring.

Leon was also happily sitting on the Griffin. He didn't really get time to bond with it in this life. In his last life after he had captured it he had used it in all his fights. However because it had lost its eye it had more blind spots. Leon only got to spend a year with it. It had died in a fight. He had always felt bad seeing the empty eye socket in his past life. It always made him wonder how strong it would be if it had both eyes.

With both eyes it would have been able to get the ability of copying other abilities. Although it couldn't get the ability of killing other beasts with a glance as that would need comprehension in the death element. It would have been much stronger.

Now that he had what he had wanted so badly in his past life. He wasn't going to let it go to waste. He would make sure it was used to its full potential.

They reached the top of the stairs. Leon summoned his old life's soul book that was disguised using formless aura. He unsummoned the Griffin. They then left the cave.

As they walked out they saw that had entered a beautiful garden. The grass was emerald and the flowers in full bloom. There were small fairies flying around to add to the tranquility.

In front of them was a large palace. It was completely white and looked heavenly.

"The council of fire sure doesn't hold back." Leon said looking around.

"They better not after making us go through that whole test." Pace said.

A man walked up to the three. "You are Leon, Pace and Eos I presume?"

The three nodded.

"Follow me to your rooms." The man guided the three to their rooms in the palace. "Room 101-103 are yours. You may rest here for now. Later we shall alert when it is time to receive your awards."

The three thanked the man. Pace opened the door to his room. "This is exactly what I wanted." He ran in and jumped on the bed. He instantly fell asleep.

Leon and Eos entered their own rooms to rest as well.

Leon was also mentally tired. He had over exerted himself after trying to break out from the spacial loop. He didn't sleep however. He had something better do. He used Formless aura to hide what would happen in the room. He then set up a few, quick runic formations.

He summoned the Blood Harpy.

"Let's form that Vapirism Rune." The blood harpy nodded. Leon put his hand out and moved it in a circle. Energy was pulled into it. He put his hand in and grabbed. He opens the fist to see a rune in it.

"Here with this you should be able to absorb blood energy constantly through out a battle. You won't have to injure them first."

The blood harpy took the rune into her hands and stamped it on her c.h.e.s.t. The rune disappeared. Her body made some quick changes. More holy energy formed in her body and the Bird parts a little more human. She also formed short fangs in her mouth. Although they were almost unnoticeable.

"You're making progress with the holy energy?"

The harp put her hand out and a light appeared above her hand as her answer. It was as big as a mustard seed. But it was much bigger then before. Leon was thrilled.

"Good job, I'll think of a way to make your bloodline more concentrated until then keep on training."

The blood harpy nodded. She was going to do it's beast. Leon unsummoned her and summoned the Lightning Griffin. He removed the formless aura and a few of the runic formations. He only left one that allowed him to sense what was happening outside.

He then started cultivating the Lightning Step art with the Lightning Griffin. Leon didn't bother cultivating the other two heavenly arts. His lightning affinity was to low, he could only form the first two runes at the moment. His lightning affinity was only at low student level. Other then the Griffin he barely contracted any lightning beasts. He had never studied a strong lightning art either.

Leon thought about his other affinities. He still had no idea what levels the mysterious element, fire and ice were at; they were beyond any thing he had seen. Other then that he was grandmaster at the Blood element. His dream and evil affinities from his past life also started to improve, they were however still had low student level.

Leon went back to cultivating the art. It was an easier art with only three levels: Lightning feet, Lightning walk and lighting run. Leon had already reached Lightning Feet. He soon broke into Lighting walk.

He soon reached the peak of the second art. He also reached a bottle neck at the art. His affinity was too low to continue. Leon stopped cultivating it.

"I can't cultivate the Vermilion Burning Heart as I don't have a fire beast." Since the chimera had lost its fire element and the Phoenix hadn't hatched Leon was without a fire beast.

"I still need to find a place for the Phoenix egg to hatch. Should I go back to the Dragon cave in the Ice Continent? I'll need to think of away to deal with the soul Dragon first." Leon thought of a few other methods.

"There is also that Sacred Flame Temple that contains the Sacred fire. If I let that Phoenix egg absorb it, it would easily be able to hatch." Leon thought while laughing. The sacred fire was an immortal flame that always burned. It was believed the day it went out the Fire Continent would be destroyed.

"Well I might as well from the two runes for the Lightning God's Armor." The Griffin who was sitting on the floor next to him nodded.

Leon slowly formed the runes. He was only able to form them because of his knowledge in runes, otherwise it would have been impossible without a higher affinity. Leon formed one rune. It was a purplish-blue. It had a royal feel to it. If you look closed enough you would be able to see it was much more complicated then it seemed.

Leon then stamped the rune on to the Griffin. The rune went straight to the runic circle that Leon had already formed. The runic flashed some light.

The Griffin formed the Lightning armor on its body. It was still no God's armor but it was much better then that superficial cover it was before. The Lightning grew tamer and covered better. The Griffin was happy. It urged Leon to from the second one.

"Sure I'll form it-" Some one knocked on Leon's door.

"Mister Leon the awards will be given out soon. You should make your way to the palace grounds."

Leon opened the door and said he would being going there.

After closing the door, Leon turned to the Griffin and said, "Sorry, I can't from it now. You'll have to wait a little longer." The Griffin nodded, it was looked gloomy. Leon shook his head and unsummoned it.

He left out of his room and saw the man knock on Pace's door. However no one was responding.

"You can leave him, I'll tell him about the awards." The man nodded. He then moved onto the next door.

During the time Leon had cultivated that place had been filled with people. More and more people came. The rooms had been filled. People were walking around. Some were leaving for the ground while others just enjoyed the scenery of the palace.

Eos came out from her room, she saw Leon and greeted him. She asked if he was going.

"You go ahead. I'll wake up Pace and then we'll catch up to you." Leon said to her.

Eos nodded and left.

Leon opened Pace's door without knocking. Pace was on his bed drooling as he slept. Leon went up and patted his head to wake him up.

"Give me five more minutes." Pace Said as he turned away.

Leon snorted and elbowed Pace in the stomach.

Pace fell of his bed. He got up and looked at Leon, "Leon! what was that for!"

"We're going to be late for the award ceremony. Let's go."

Pace saw what Leon was wearing. He was still wearing the same Clan uniform that he had worn through out the competition.

"You're going like that?"

Leon also noticed he hadn't changed. He quickly wen to his room and came out in a new uniform. Pace also did the same.

"What about Eos?"

"She went ahead. I told her to go since I didn't want her to be late at least."

Pace laughed and said he was sorry for over sleeping.

They reached the grounds. They were the last ones to arrive. The elder standing on stage looked at them and said with annoyance, "Finally the last of us have arrived. Now the awards will be as follow."

"The first hundred in the first round, the diving race, will get a drop of soul dew. The top fifty will get a medium grade material of there choice with the drop of soul dew. The top twenty will be given a soul breakthrough pill on top of the other awards. The top ten will be allowed to go choose one from the beast jellies we have brought here will also the above prizes."

Many were shocked by the awards. It was really going to propel the top hundred forward. They all still didn't know their portions in the round. They were excited as they waited. Hearing what the awards were, the excitement just built up.

"Now for the second round. This was much harder with the labyrinth. So that awards will be better then before. Two drops of Soul dew for everyone in the top one hundred. The top fifty will get a chance to cultivate in a high level energy source zone. The top twenty will be allowed to choose any element of the soul evolution fruits. The top ten will be allowed to choose from higher level beast jelly. First place will be given a chance to meet the High Elder Harlan Ash of the Council of fire to consult on future beast evolution paths."

Everyone was now really surprised the rewards were much better. Ignoring the High energy source, the Soul evolution fruits were already enough for people. With a heavenly material it was almost impossible for the beast to not go through a. major evolution.But what really surprised most people was the award for people first. It was to meet a high elder of th council of fire, but that was not all, it was to meet Harlan Ash. He was the most knowledgeable person on the continent about beast evolution. Many of the elders on the Council of Fire begged to have him help them in what path to evolve there beast with, however he would always reject.

Leon was happy hearing they were going to an energy source. He could let the Phoenix egg absorb energy there.

Leon wasn't interested in most of the other awards. He had met Harlan Ash in his last life while he was trapped in the tower at the Flamesmith Clan. That old man had sharp eyes and was born a prodigy. Leon didn't think he was more knowledgeable then him in beast evolution though. Unlike himself who had evolved hundreds of Beast himself and read through thousands of books from all continents, Harlan had barely left the Fire Continent. He did however have a Beast with ability to see the future and the Wisdom attribute. This was something Leon could never beat.

Leon thought of the two lives rat. He would have contracted it if it had shown a little more talent. But sadly it wasn't up to the par he wanted.

The man saw the excited faces and nodded. "Finally the last round. It was simple. You just had to defeat a beast. However we did not tell you that all two hundred beasts each had a different prize for defeating them. The prize gets better as the prize gets stronger. You can find the prizes out later with your overall ranks."

"Now, the prizes for the overall ranking that will be made from combing the result from the three rounds will be awarded as Fire points. The higher your rank the more fire points you will earn. We have had people watch you complete and score you as well, This will also effect your score."

Some people grew nervous, while some sighed in relief. Leon had sensed the people watching the whole time through the diving race. Even the beginning of the second round until his cultivation was sealed. He then sensed them in the fight against the King FireStorm Wolf.

"Fire points can be used to redeem for prizes. However I will give you some advise. Don't spend them to affluently."

The elder walked off the stage. Behind him there was a large crystal board. It lit up and names appeared. Next to the names were five numbers. They has the overall rank on the left. They was how the names were ordered as well. They then had the ranks in the first three rounds written separately on the right, with the last number being the Fire points.

Leon saw his name was first. It was all ones, until the Fire points which was at a hundred thousand. Pace was at eighth place. He had tied with Leon for first in the first and second round however was ranked thirty two in the third round. He got fifty thousand points.

Eos was at twenty fifth place. Similar to Pace she was first in the two rounds but was hundred and five in the third round. Her overall rank had been scaled because she had fought a beast much bigger in level. She had more fire points then the person above her, she had twenty eight thousand fire points.

Pace patted Leon on the back. "Well done Leon, you came in first. I can't say I didn't expect it after you beat the King Firestorm Wolf. Even the judges have given you a much higher score."

Pace was talking about the Fire points. After Leon's hundred thousand, the next one was at seventy eight thousand. Leon had clearly impressed the judges during his fight with that King Firestorm Wolf.

In the crowd Anastasia, Cesar, Clyde and Dwight found Pace, Eos and Leon. They came up to them with smiling faces.

Pace was really happy, "You all passed I was looking for your names. You all didn't do bad, you didn't disgrace your trainers' name."

"Thank you, Pace for training us we coUldn't have done it without you." Clyde and Cesar said annoyed.

Clyde then had his eyes brighten, "Leon you did amazing! First place!"

Cesar bumped in, "Leon you came first in the third round, so you fought that King Firestrom wolf right? How was it? Tell my how the fight went and all its abilities. I recently caught a Fire Wolf and want evolve it into a King Firestorm wolf." Anastasia pulled Cesar back.

"First evolve it into a Firestorm Wolf, then think about king. Eos you did amazing as well. Twenty eighth! Impressive. You just need a little more fighting experience and you'll catch up to Leon."

"Thanks but I wouldn't have made it through first place in the first two rounds without Pace and Leon's help. So I think I have a long way to go."

"So what ranks did you guys get?"

"I got an overall rank of 176. 203 in the first round, 98 in the second and 164 in the third." Cesar said.

"I got an overall rank of 175. 203 in the first round, 98 in the second and 159 in the third." said Clyde.

"I got an overall rank of 148. 190 in the first round, 89 in the second and 132 in the third." Dwight said.

"I got 98 as my overall rank. 100 in the first round, 49 in the second and 103 in the third." Anastasia said. Cesar and Clyde glared at Anastasia as she announced her rank.

"Why are you so proud even after you ditched us and ran off-" Before Cesar could continue Anastasia glared daggers at him. "Did you say something?"

"Nothing." Cesar hugged Clyde for solace as he still mentally complained.